


Crave

by Peaches_07



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, F/F, F/M, M/M, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Morning Cuddles, Shifter
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-18
Updated: 2021-03-23
Packaged: 2021-03-26 20:28:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 22,087
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30111588
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Peaches_07/pseuds/Peaches_07
Summary: Adrien is an Alpha shifter and he chooses Marinette as his mate. However there are a couple problems. She's not too familiar with shifters, there's another Alpha trying to win her over, and she's about to go into heat.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Alya Césaire/Nino Lahiffe, Juleka Couffaine/Rose Lavillant
Comments: 30
Kudos: 140





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is mini story about a pretty typical 'two Alphas fighting over one girl' but with a slight twist. I have a feeling the rating is going to change to explicit once I edit the next couple of chapters seeing as this revolves around Marinette's heat. This baby has definitely been my guilty pleasure over the last few months haha. 
> 
> I've been debating on whether or not to post this but I guess it can't hurt. Nevertheless, hope you guys enjoy!

“I’ll see you later Kitty!” Marinette briefly paused her scrambling around her apartment room to run her fingers over her black cat. He sat curled up on her bed watching her through bright green eyes. He purred and rubbed his head further into her palm for deeper scratches.

“Be good. I mean it!” She giggled and leaned down, placing a quick kiss in between his ears. His tail wrapped around her wrist in an attempt to get her to stay but it had little effect on her. To Marinette, he was a stray cat who continuously found his way to her bedroom window. To him, she was his mate and he wanted nothing more than to love her.

He stood up and yawned, arching his body in a long stretch. He shook out his fur and listened sadly as she closed and locked her front door. Gone again too soon for his liking. His heart lurched in her absence as he longed to go with her. 

He had to fight every atom in his body to not shift and take off after her in his human form.

Alya popped her head into Marinette’s room and watched him lower his head in defeat. She smirked and jutted her hip out knowingly. “I made some brunch if you wanted to eat before heading out.”

The black cat perked up at her words and contemplated the offer of breakfast but decided to shake his head. The only thing that would satisfy him was his lady but she was on her way to class and he couldn’t go with her. 

Alya rolled her eyes. “Alright lover boy. Suit yourself. But you do know you can’t go lurking around on an empty stomach. Besides I was going to ask if you wanted to come spy on her date later tonight with me but...” she teasingly trailed off and flipped her hair over her shoulder.

The cat glared at her and leapt off the bed, shifting into a tiger mid-air. He landed on the floor with his larger paws and growled at Alya. He slinked towards her with his upper lip curled in a snarl only to stop his pursuit when he was directly in front of her and narrowed his eyes threateningly. 

“Down boy. I’m just teasing. She’s meeting Nino and I for dinner.” Alya held her hands up in surrender.

The large black tiger slowly willed his body to relax, taking deep breaths to calm his bristling fur down. It was the last day of March and he knew her heat was coming up which made him nervous and antsy. 

The first week of April always brought Marinette pain as her body yearned for his. He knew that she wasn’t ready and instead offered comfort from afar in his shifted form of a house cat. But this pained him to no end. She knew very little about shifters and he was waiting until the right time to show her his world. 

She also wasn’t fully aware that she was enduring a heat. It wasn’t as painful as it could be since he technically stuck by her side but he knew he was going to have to tell her one day that it wasn’t just the painful period she always thought it was.

The black tiger lashed his tail out and paced around the pink room. It appeared as if a pastel color bomb exploded in her room with numerous mannequins and half finished projects lying around but it was so Marinette that he didn’t care. 

He shifted back into a black house cat and settled down onto her comforter. He whimpered and curled into a ball, breathing in her floral, fruity scent. It was his addiction.  _ She _ was his addiction.

Alya huffed and bit her bottom lip. “Well, if you wanted to join our lovely night out, we’re leaving around 6 to meet up with her.” She walked into the room sitting beside him to scratch his ears. Alya’s scratches and pets didn’t hold a candle to Marinette’s and that only made the need for his lady flame stronger. 

Alya chuckled. “C’mon Alpha, pull yourself together. She’ll be fine. She has you after all.” 

The black cat grumbled and shook her hand from his fur. He didn’t want to be chastised for something he couldn’t help. Breathing in her scent one last time, he pushed himself up and padded over to her cracked window.

He gave Alya a look over his shoulder. 

The girl tipped her head in understanding. “6’oclock Agreste.”

The black cat turned and fled into the morning to race back to his own flat. He needed to finish as much work as he could so he could give Marinette his utmost attention this week. April first was the start of a very Hellish week for them both.

~~~~~~~

Marinette sighed as she peered down at her phone, checking the time. She was in her school’s library researching for a project. She had to squeeze her eyes shut as a wave of warmth rushed over her body. She had already styled her hair into a bun on top of her head to get it to stop sticking to her neck. She wasn’t dying of heat but she could just make out the rise in her temperature every now and then and it was annoying.

She fanned her face trying to cool her body down with little success. It wasn’t like it was hot outside. It was the end of March for crying out loud! This morning was brisk and chilly as she walked to class. In fact she was contemplating going back to her shared apartment for a jacket.

Maybe it was the library, she wondered. That was the only explanation. She bit the end of her pencil harder than she meant to as she jumped in surprise. Someone had sat down next to her and shook her out of her thoughts.

“Hey. I noticed you were acting a little distracted in class today and thought I’d check up on you.” 

Marinette turned her attention to the person next to her. His Ombre hair was the first thing she noticed and then his clear blue eyes. She smiled reassuringly at Luka and nodded her head. 

“Oh, yeah, I’m fine! I think I might be running a little fever but nothing some Tylenol won’t fix.” 

He gave her a worried look and held his hand up to her forehead. “Marinette, you’re really burning up. Are you sure you’re not coming down with something?” 

“Yes, I told you. I’m fine. Besides I think the library might be hotter than normal too.” 

Luka’s eyes skeptically peered into her own. “Marinette, the library is freezing. Some group of kids broke a window and it hasn’t shut properly for a couple of days.” 

Marinette’s brows furrowed. “Oh.” She coughed to cover a groan as she started to cramp. It was more uncomfortable than it was painful but it still sucked. Her toes curled in her shoes to take her mind off of the subtle stabs of pain in her lower stomach area. Her breathing was ragged and shaky as she tried to calm her racing heart. 

She blew a quiet sigh of relief when her body cooled down and her cramps faded. She cleared her throat and smiled at Luka.

“I think I’m going to head home. If I am sick then I don’t want anyone else to get it.

He gave her a small smile of his own before helping her collect her things. “I can walk you home.”

She opened her mouth to protest but he held his hand up. “No, really. I don’t mind.”

She bit her lip and sagged her shoulders. It couldn’t hurt to have him walk her home. It was a nice gesture and she considered him a pretty nice friend. 

“Okay. Thanks Luka.”

He swung both of their bags over his shoulders and asked, “Ready?”

Marinette grinned sheepishly, but nodded nonetheless and led the way out of the library. They walked side by side with idle chit chat. It was a comfortable walk until Marinette noticed Luka tense up. She was about to ask if he was alright when she heard someone call her name.

“Hey Marinette!” 

She turned to look at who it was and smiled brightly. “H-hey Adrien! I haven’t seen you in a while. How are you? How was your trip?”

Adrien’s hands were in the pockets of his coat as he caught up to the pair. “I’m good. I thought that was you walking.” He gave her a happy smile of his own before he, too, tensed up. 

His green eyes hardened when he saw Luka standing rigid beside Marinette. His blue eyes were narrowed and he lifted his chin in a challenging way.

Adrien grit his teeth and fixed his attention back on Marinette who stood between the two Alphas in mild obliviousness. He softened his expression and grabbed her hand, winking at her and spinning her around like a princess before dramatically pulling her into his chest for a hug. “We really need to start hanging out more. I miss you.” He said with a grin.

His eyes lit up when she giggled and relaxed into his embrace. He shouldn’t have been so proud of himself for making her blush but he couldn’t help it. He prided himself in making her happy.

One of his hands wrapped around her waist and the other was strung over her shoulders trapping her to his chest protectively. His grin grew triumphantly when he felt her arms snake around his own waist. 

Adrien’s green eyes snapped to Lukas in a threatening stare and he made sure to purposefully flash one of his elongated canines in his direction. He wasn’t usually this possessive over her but he knew Luka sensed her oncoming heat and Adrien didn’t want to take any chances. 

Obviously Marinette was her own person but she was his unofficial mate and he would be damned if a  _ viper  _ took her away from him. 

While maintaining eye contact with the very angry Alpha just a couple feet away, he buried his nose in the crook of her neck and inhaled her scent. He made sure to leave a small kiss behind her ear, staking his claim which he assumed she didn’t even feel. He reluctantly pulled back and let his arms fall from Marinette when she loosened her grip on him. 

He smiled down at her and tried to hide the fact that he was struggling to let her out of his sight with the other Alpha. He didn’t want to leave her side but he was already running late to a business meeting.

“Where are you guys headed?” Adrien asked stiffly. Marinette looked at him questioningly but shrugged off his tone and was about to answer when Luka cut her off.

“I’m taking her back to her place. She’s not feeling well. I might make her some of my mothers famous soup if she lets me.” His tone was gentle as he walked back up to Marinette. 

Adrien had to act surprised even though he knew she wasn’t sick. It was essentially just her pre-heat kicking in. “Are you okay?” He asked as he lifted his hand up to her forehead to feel her temperature.

She rolled her eyes. “I am not sick. I think I’m just running a low grade fever. I need some tea and sleep, that's all.” She said, swatting his hand away playfully. 

He shook his head in exasperation and shrugged off his coat. He swung it around her shoulders and winked at her again. “You can return it to me tonight at dinner. I don’t want you getting cold.” He purposely left out that he wanted her bathed in his scent if she had to stay with the other Alpha. 

He didn’t think either of them would like to hear that though.

Her skin flushed and she coughed to cover up the squeak that escaped her. 

Adrien was going to surprise her by showing up for dinner but he wanted to let that stupid viper know that he was going to be seeing her again later and to keep his hands off of her. It was an underlying warning that went over Marinette’s head.

She opened her mouth to protest about the jacket but Adrien lifted her chin up with his knuckle to stare into her blue eyes. “Please, I insist.”

She sighed and cleared her throat. “Okay. But seriously, you guys. I’m fine. You both are making it seem like I’m dying or something.”

Adrien's throat tightened in dread as he imagined her dead body lying lifelessly in a casket and he mentally cringed at the tiny whimper that left his mouth. He closed his eyes briefly and shook his thoughts away before he clung to her in desperation. 

He knew she wasn’t dying but he couldn’t get his mind to stop flooding in depressing scenarios. He clenched his hand in a fist and inwardly growled. He bid Marinette a painful goodbye (well, painful for him) and promised to see her in a few hours for dinner.

Adrien stood rooted to his spot as Marinette smiled at him and turned to continue her journey to her apartment. Luka grinned smugly at him and let out a low hiss before turning and catching up to the bluenette.

Adrien contemplated shifting into a cat and following them but he knew he had to attend the meeting. He waited until they were out of sight before growling menacingly and running his hand through his hair in preparation for what will considerably be his longest meeting he’s ever attended.

~~~~~~~

It was nearing 4 o’clock when Adrien found himself racing across Paris in the form of a panther. He kept to the shadows and alleys so he blended in but his heart was beating in anticipation to see his lady. He had been a nervous wreck for the entirety of his meeting as his mind continuously drew up scenario after scenario. 

Did they make it to her apartment? Was she comfortable? Did she even know that guy? Adrien mentally scoffed. Of course she knew that guy. Marinette was smart enough to know not to bring a random stranger into her home.

_ ‘What if’  _ after  _ ‘what if’  _ ruled his brain, driving him mad.

And just like that, his thoughts spiraled. The image of Luka killing her or worse, Luka _claiming_ her. He had to bite his cheek from lashing out in his meeting. He broke the business desk from gripping it too hard and dismissed the meeting earlier than planned. He couldn’t take it anymore.

He was panting and heaving as adrenaline pumped his limbs faster. He needed to make sure she was okay.

He shifted from his panther form to his usual black house cat and balanced on her window pane. He pawed at the glass and called for her in his cat tongue. 

He saw her sitting on her bed with her legs drawn up to her chest and her arms wrapped around them with her face buried in her lap. His heart dropped when he caught the smell of her salty tears. Adrien was going to murder whatever that bastard of an Alpha did to her! 

He frantically tried alerting her to his presence more than ever. Marinette sniffed and looked up, jumping out of bed to let him in when she caught sight of him. 

She wiped at her eyes as she fumbled to raise the window open. He made no hesitation to jump into her arms, cuddling his head under her neck. 

“Oh, Kitty.” She burst into tears again as she settled back onto her bed. He purred and nuzzled his head under her chin. 

She held him closer to her chest and ran her fingers over his soft fur. She leaned her head down to bury her face into the scruff of his neck as he leaned up to lick away the salty remnants of her tears.

“Kitty, I think something is wrong with me.” 

Adrien’s heart clenched tightly in his chest and he was about to shift into his human form, despite the problem of his nakedness, to console her. Because her words broke him. He needed to let her know that there was absolutely nothing wrong with her. 

He didn’t know where she got that idea but he was going to murder whoever planted that seed in her mind. He was placing his bets on Luka.

She sniffed again and looked up at her ceiling, wiping under her eyes. “It’s my body. And - and my feelings. I don’t think…I’m so confused!” Her blue eyes were red rimmed as she tried holding back her tears. “I keep telling myself that it’s normal period stuff but I don’t think it is. And Luka, one of my friends from class, he - he is very kind but he tried kissing me and-”

Adrien’s eyes lit up in anger at the other Alpha and let out a guttural growl. Marinette drew back in shock at his growling and stared at him with a shocked expression. She had never seen him do that. His fur bristled along his spine causing his tail to fluff out but he went back to rubbing himself all over her. 

He nuzzled her face and stopped growling so he could purr again at her fingertips. He tried hiding the fact that he was absolutely livid and seething at Luka for trying to kiss her. Kiss what wasn’t his.

She gave him a weird look but resumed her talking. “And I think I would have kissed him but I - I ran into someone today.” She smiled and curled up on her side. Adrien curled up next to her and she drew him in closer so she could keep petting him. Thus resulting in him kneading her blanket. 

“Adrien Agreste. I haven’t seen him since he left on that business trip a few months back but, Chaton, I still love him.” She giggled and sniffed and Adrien didn’t think his heart could swell with anymore happiness. 

A twinge of guilt ran through him when he realized this was a private conversation that he probably wasn’t supposed to hear but dismissed it when she kissed his head.

He absolutely melted.

“I’ve loved him since we were teenagers Kitty. And when I saw him today? It was like I was fourteen again. It’s always been like that. He makes me feel good, like I belong with him. It’s hard to explain.” 

Adrien gazed up at her because he did understand. He tried telling her with his eyes that she had the same effect on him. 

Marinette opened her mouth to say something else when there was a knock on the front door. Adrien’s ears flicked as he listened for any threatening signs.

He hastily sat up and hissed before taking off out of her room. He heard her call for him but he ignored it and ran to the door. He sniffed and his hackles raised when the filthy scent of that viper invaded his nose.

He knew he didn’t have time to shift and ward Luka off but he did run back over to Marinette and wove between her legs until she picked him up. He settled comfortably in her arms as she carried him causing him to mentally smirk. What better way to say ‘fuck you’ to Luka is there?

Marinette opened the door and peered out in surprise. “Oh hi Luka. What’re you doing? Did you leave something?”

Adrien continued to purr in triumph as Marinette’s fingers glided over his pelt. He eyed Luka and nuzzled closer to his lady, happily covering her in his scent. 

Luka cleared his throat before shoving his hands in his pocket. He casted his ice blue eyes down the hall while blowing a stray piece of hair out of his eyes. “I uh actually left my jacket so I came to retrieve it.” 

Marinette shifted Adrien’s body in her arms as she gestured with her head for him to enter. “Oh sure. Yeah you can grab it.” 

Adrien dug his nose into her neck and inhaled, temporarily forgetting about the other male in the vicinity. Marinette’s scent changed, Adrien mused. It was sweeter. He licked his lips in hunger and desire. 

Adrien whipped his head back around to focus on Luka with watchful eyes, his tail lazily flickering back and forth. 

“I didn’t know you had a…” Luka’s brow rose, “...a cat.” He sneered the word ‘cat’ like it hurt to say it. 

Marinette tilted her head in question, “Yeah, he comes and goes as he pleases. I wouldn’t necessarily say he’s  _ mine  _ per se...” 

Adrien whimpered, laying his ears flat against his head and licked her arm reassuringly, which granted a giggle from her. He felt warmth rush over him as she stroked his side. Luka’s eyes flashed with a knowing glint to them before his features hardened. 

He reached out a hand to pet him but Adrien bristled and hissed at him, swiping his claws out at Luka, effectively scratching his hand. Marinette gasped and pulled Adrien back. 

“Luka! I’m so sorry! He’s a little protective of me I guess. And he doesn’t really like males for some reason.” Marinette quickly put Adrien down. “Hold on! I’ll go get some Band-Aids!” She quickly dashed off to go retrieve some Band-Aids from her bathroom.

Adrien sat poised on the ground and licked the paw he attacked Luka with like he didn’t have a care in the world. 

He stopped mid-lick when Luka scoffed, crossing his arms over his chest. “Alright,  _ pussycat _ , we all know who you are so you can drop that stupid act.” He growled out.

Adrien listened for Marinette to confirm she wasn’t near them before he shifted back into his human form. Adrien lifted his chin pridefully and narrowed his green eyes. “I’m only going to say this once.” He balled Luka’s collar of his shirt in his fist before stepping nose to nose with him menacingly. 

His green eyes were slit like a cats and his canines were elongated dangerously as he snarled.

“You will leave Marinette alone if you know what’s good for you. That means you do not  _ speak _ to her, you will not  _ look _ at her and you sure as hell will not  _ try to kiss her _ .” He seethed out. “Do I make myself clear,  _ snake _ .”

Luka huffed. “She’s unclaimed. Which as far as I am concerned, means she’s mateless and up for grabs. She’s beautiful and kind and smart and I want her.” He gripped Adrien’s wrist which had yet to let go of his shirt. “You may be an Alpha but you don’t scare me. And it’s viper,  _ kitten _ ,” 

Adrien growled and used his other hand to grab hold of his neck in a death like grip. Luka’s blue eyes widened as he was caught off guard. “I will kill you if you lay a  _ finger  _ on her you bastard.” His voice dripped in poison before squeezing his neck harder. “And that is a fucking promise.” 

He backed off of the viper and shifted back into a black house cat, watching in elation as Luka coughed and gulped in air, rubbing his neck. Marinette came bursting back in with a few things to help with the scratches on Luka’s hand. 

“Have you ever thought about why that mangy alley cat attacks males?” Luka said after he found his voice. Marinette led him over to the sink in the kitchen, slowly dabbing his hand with a damp towel to rid it of blood. 

“No?...I mean it’s not like he could really answer me if I asked him.” She let out a breathy laugh. Luka glared at Adrien who jumped up on the counter beside Marinette. Oh the irony of that statement. 

He nudged her arm with his head but Marinette lightly pushed him out of the way with her elbow. 

Luka smirked at the surprise in the cat’s green eyes. Adrien was so used to receiving her attention that he didn’t expect her to push him away.

“Well, have you ever thought that maybe he could harm someone? It’s dangerous keeping an unpredictable cat like that in a place that houses children.” Luka shrugged as he continued to stare at Marinette. 

She furrowed her brows. “He’s never acted out like that before. Even at my childhood home. He hisses sometimes but he’s not dangerous.” She peered at Luka with a skeptical and defensive look. 

The man only shrugged. “I just want to make sure you’re safe with a feral cat like that. Maybe it’s better if you let the pound handle him or at least neuter him.” 

Marinette glared at Luka and crossed her arms over her chest to glower at him. The sudden rush of protectiveness washed over her for her feline friend. “I did  _ not _ invite you into my house to insult my cat! I’m sorry he scratched your hand but he's a  _ cat _ . It’s what they do. And if you ever, EVER suggest that I put him down or neuter him again I will not hesitate to hit you where it hurts!” 

Luka’s eyes were wide and he raised his hands in mock surrender, taking a step back. Marinette turned and picked her cat back up, cradling him in her arms lovingly. She sighed, “Look Luka, I’m sorry I snapped at you but I love him. He’s stuck with me through a lot and I couldn’t imagine losing him even if he’s just a cat.” 

She looked over to the clock that hung on her wall. “I think it’s best if you go now. I have dinner with my friends that I need to get ready for.”

Luka hid behind his hair as he sheepishly walked over to her front door. She set Adrien down to see him out. “Thanks again for walking me home.”

Luka rubbed his hand on the back of his neck. “Of course Marinette. I’m sorry again for the things I said. I have a love hate relationship with cats.” He offered a small chuckle and she smiled softly in return. “I’ll see you in class.”

They bid goodbyes before Marinette shut and locked the door. Adrien circled her feet, wrapping his tail around her leg. She crouched down to pet his head. “Guess it’s just you and me now, Chaton.” She said quietly.

Adrien liked those odds.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so I know Adrien might be a little annoying (possessive wise) in this chapter but you have to keep in mind that Marinette is approaching a very vulnerable time and attracting a lot of male attention despite not knowing it. Everything will be explained to her soon so that won't be an issue for much longer. Hopefully this chapter will kind of bring Adrien's insecurity forward a little. Anyways thanks for the positive feedback and I hope you guys enjoy!

Marinette wasted no time in running to her closet. Adrien sat on her bed and watched with heavy eyes as she nearly tripped putting on pants. She entranced him with her movements, captivating him as she floundered around the room. He didn’t miss the way she threw her hair into a messy ponytail or how she bent over to sink to lean forward and get a closer look as she glossed up her already plump lips. 

Marinette had him purring and kneading her comforter simultaneously. Heat pooled down his body to collect between his thighs and he knew he’d be sporting a boner if he were a human at the moment.

She smacked her lips and smiled, walking out of her bathroom to give him a spin of her completed look. 

“How do I look, Kitty? Is it too much? Is it not enough? Oh gosh Adrien is going to be there! I have to look good!” Adrien sat up straighter as her face paled and tilted his head in question. Yes he was going to be there but he could honestly care less what she looked like. Besides, how could she not see how perfect she was? Was he really that intimidating to her? 

“Okay. No. I look good. Sexy even!” Adrien gazed at her longingly. Hell yeah she looked sexy. She ran her hand down her red blouse feeling herself up and bit her lip as she stood in front of her floor length mirror. Adrien continued to watch her and longed to one day give her a reason to bite her lip. How the gloss made her red lips shine brighter and how he wanted to run his canines along the smooth surface of her soft lips, trailing them lower and lower...

“Is it _too_ sexy? Will he be put off?” Her blue eyes widened with nervousness. He snorted. Nothing she could do would put him off - even if she tried. “Does he like it when girls wear heels or should I go with something less dangerous? I mean tennis shoes never hurt anyone.” 

Adrien mentally smiled at her. She was adorable. He decided to help her out of her misery by jumping down and running over to her shoe rack. He bit one of her flats and aligned it in her line of sight before running to jump back onto her bed.

She shrieked in surprise as her phone started to ring and nearly dropped it as she fumbled for the answer button. She chuckled nervously before collecting the black flats that Adrien pulled out. She sat beside him and slipped her feet into them as she listened to her friend speak.

“Hey girl, you okay? We heard you weren’t feeling too well.”

Marinette sighed into her hand. “I’m fine, honestly. I had a little fever but it’s gone now.”

Alya said something else but Marinette had walked out of the room and down the hall, leaving Adrien to his own devices. He shook his fur off and leaped onto her window sneakily slinking through without looking back, knowing he had to get ready himself.

~~~~~~~

By the time Marinette almost made it to the little restaurant, she was starting to feel warm again. Her skin was starting to feel sticky and her jeans were making her legs uncomfortably aware of the clothing covering them. She rubbed her temples, trying to shake herself out of her funk.

Perhaps it was just a fleeting moment of nervousness? Or was she actually sick? Was her fever rising again? Was-

“Marinette?” 

She was veered out of her train of thoughts and looked up to see Adrien getting out of his car across the street. She smiled, waving a shy wave at him as she waited for him to catch up to her. He looked both ways before jogging over with his own smile adjourning his face. 

“Hey, Adrien.” He nearly swooned at her greeting but forced his stature to remain upright. Her voice was silky smooth, dripping with innocence and her scent was definitely sweeter than it was just a few minutes ago.

His features were soft when he lightly pulled her into a hug. He took this chance to glance around wearily to gather how many shifters were aware of her upcoming heat. 

She was a beautiful temptress right now, strutting around with her alluring, mouth-watering scent and she didn’t even know it. He caught a few gazes of unclaimed men who looked at her with desire and lust in their eyes. He could practically read their thoughts of pinning her down and having their way with her. 

No matter how easy she was on the eyes, no one should endure something like that.

Adrien’s green eyes hardened protectively and he had to restrain himself from dragging Marinette into his car to hide her from the clutches of the other men. He typically hated using his Alpha benefits to get his way but he didn’t care right now if it was going to temporarily merit safety on Marinette’s part. 

Because he was a pureblood Alpha and had the option of shifting into his animal entirely, this also granted him the power to partially shift by bringing a few physical traits to the surface instead of the entire beast.

And the cat in him didn’t like the hungry looks the other men were giving his mate. 

He closed his eyes and allowed his cat to temporarily awaken. His canines elongated which he flashed in a snarl and his green slitted eyes narrowed dangerously over her head. He pushed his primal scent off in waves and knew by the paled reactions of the nearby men that they acknowledged his Alpha state causing them to either bow their heads or show their necks in submission. Many turned away to continue on into the night.

She might not be claimed but she was safe with him.

He pulled back from Marinette after calming his senses down and ran a hand through his hair, smiling brightly down at her. His cat like eyes had gone back to his normal, non-slitted green and his canines were less noticeable. He kept his arm over her shoulder which kept her locked to his side as they started walking to the restaurant. 

He greedily gulped in the sight of her wearing the jacket he leant her earlier in the day. He felt like he could relax a little as long as she wore his scent like that. 

He couldn't help but glare at a few men as they passed but he never faltered in giving Marinette his attention when she included him in her conversation. She was blissfully unaware of what was happening around her or the trail she was leaving in her wake as she continued to happily talk about anything and everything next to him.

He opened the door for her upon reaching the entrance, and allowed her to go first with a suave, “ladies first.”.

Her cheeks flushed pink and she nervously messed with her ponytail as he followed in after her. They spotted Alya and Nino in a booth over in the corner and made their way over. She slid in first with Adrien following suit.

“Hey guys. I see you caught up with Sunshine over here. Kinda sad I didn’t get to witness the reunion if I’m being honest.” Alya teased as she messed with the straw of her water. She winked at Marinette who awkwardly chuckled. 

“You’re making it seem like he disappeared for years, Als. It was only a couple months.” Marinette said as she picked up her menu to hide her flushed face. Adrien wanted to tell her that the few months he was away felt like an eternity, but he bit his tongue.

Instead, Adrien stretched out and placed one arm over the back of the booth casually and gave Nino a fist pump with his other hand. All four of them made idle chit chat and bantered back and forth until the waiter arrived to take their orders. 

For the second time that night, he had to narrow his eyes at a mateless male who had taken a liking to his lady. He hated treating her like an object because he was raised with manners and knew with everything in him that she was her own person. In fact, he loved how she always came off so strong and independent. But he swore to protect her from his world and that's what he was doing.

He tried to unclench his jaw as he took in the waiters eyes roaming over her body with mild lust. To stop himself from doing anything too rash, he occupied his fingers by messing with her hair. He wrapped the end of her ponytail around his fingertips and pulled slightly which granted him an annoyed look from the female.

Adrien didn’t look at the waiter when he gave him his order which might have passed as rude but he didn’t seem to care at that moment. He made sure to ask for Pinot Noir to share with the table as well. 

He knew this was going to be a long week and wine never seemed to hurt anyone.

The evening for the most part went off without a hitch. Their food was decent, the talks were humorous and he knew he didn’t have to worry about Nino stealing his lady since he was so infatuated with Alya. He knew she was safe with them and that eased some of the weight off of his shoulders.

Adrien had to hold back ripping their waiter to shreds as he continuously flirted with her but besides that, agreeably between the four people, dinner was pretty fun and a much needed stress reliever.

Until the end.

Marinette had her hand wrapped around her glass of water, slowly easing her fingers up and down to mess with the condensation that gathered on the sides. Adrien’s face flushed as he adjusted his body to try and fix the dilemma in his pants. 

He longed for her fingers to be wrapped around something else. He tried to not focus on her but it was hard when she continuously did things like _that_ in front of him. 

He picked up his wine glass and swallowed some in an attempt to quench the fire in his body. Although he knew there was only one thing that could quench it and it wasn’t wine. 

Marinette groaned softly and rested her head on his shoulder. He wrapped an arm over her, comfortingly rubbing her arm and noting how hot her skin seemed to be. Despite knowing what was happening, he leaned down to whisper in her ear, “Are you alright?” 

She lazily drew patterns on her thigh as she answered him. “Cramps.”

He winced slightly and guilty looked away. He could help her. He held the key to stop her pain. What was stopping him? A lot actually, he mentally chided. 

He had never been so grateful for Alya when she asked if Marinette wanted to go to the bathroom with her. He watched with pitiful green eyes as she disappeared around the corner with her friend. 

Nino chuckled and took a sip of his own wine. “You good bro?” 

Adrien rested his face in his hands and groaned. “No.”

Nino cringed at the conflicted man across from him. “Alya told me a little about what’s going on. And no offense or anything but why haven’t you explained it to her?” 

“How do you even begin to explain something like _me_ to her? I mean I love her...I have loved her since I met her six years ago as teens. And I don’t want her to leave me. I couldn’t handle her leaving me.” Adrien shrugged and sagged his shoulders. “She’s my other half, my soulmate, dude. She’s it for me. And bringing her into my world scares me shitless. I'm an Alpha; do you have any idea how many people have tried killing me in my lifetime just for that? And you want me to rope Mari into it.”

Nino scratched at the scruff on his face in a thinking manner. “You know she'd be willing to risk it all for you right? Like, you know she loves you too. I mean you spy on her as a house cat so you’re bound to know some depth of her feelings.” 

Adrien kicked his shin with his boot under the table causing Nino to laugh. 

“I’m just saying, man. Sometimes you just have to trust that it’ll all work out. I mean if you never try, then you can never succeed.” 

Adrien growled and swished his wine around. “You don’t understand. It’s not that easy.” 

Nino shrugged. “You look miserable dude. You’re both in pain. Maybe it’s time to finally say ‘fuck it’ and damn the consequences. Besides, how would you feel if someone else came in and swept her off her feet just because you were too scared to lose her? Then you would really lose her. I mean, you can't really expect to dance around her for the remainder of both of your lives and not expect her to move on at some point.”

Luka flashed through Adrien’s mind and he had to take a few calming breaths to stop his cat from coming out fully. He tried sniffing for her scent but it wasn’t as strong since she’s been in the bathroom. His hands were clammy and itching to hold her and he needed his mate in his arms. 

Where was she? Why was she taking so long? Was she hurt?

“Dude?” Nino asked as he took in Adrien’s shaky form. His eyes were shut and he continuously flexed his hands into fists, his nostrils flaring as he drew in deep breaths.

He let out a noise that sounded like a mix between a growl and whimper. The bell above the door rang to signal someone’s entrance. 

That damned viper, Adrien mentally sneered. And right on time too.

He opened his eyes and Nino gulped when he saw how one of them was slitted. He and his cat were both in control. He didn't necessarily know what that meant but it probably wasn't good.

Adrien whipped out some money and left it on the table as he stood up and marched his way to the bathroom. 

He purposely ignored Luka as he passed seeing as his only goal was getting Marinette out and away from that snake. Adrien snapped his attention to the bathroom door as Marinette and Alya walked out, giggling about something. 

His heart leapt in joy as he took her in. Her face was damp, he guessed probably from splashing her face with water, and her skin looked flushed but otherwise unscathed and unmarked. 

He waited for her to walk over to him before he brought her hand up to his lips to kiss her knuckles. She gave him a confused look and a nervous chuckle. He honestly didn’t know if it was the talk he had with Nino or the sight of the other Alpha but either way he was ready and willing to share his world with his mate. 

He could handle the consequences, so long as he had her by his side. He could do anything with her by his side. 

“We need to talk, Marinette.”

~~~~~~~

Marinette didn’t miss the way his hand squeezed hers or how tense he was as he walked. She bid Alya goodbye from over her shoulder, brows furrowing slightly as she recognized the knowing smirk she was sending her. 

Marinette ran into his back with an ‘oomph’ as she was too busy looking at Alya to realize he stopped. Adrien gripped her hand harder and pushed Marinette slightly behind him to shield her. Curious, she poked her head out from behind him to find out why he stopped.

Luka was leisurely standing in the way with his arms crossed over his chest. Marinette gently laid the hand that wasn’t being squeezed to death on his back in between his shoulders. She didn’t know why but something in her told her to touch him. 

Her body flamed up and she had to shut her eyes to hold in the groan of pain. 

And suddenly all she could think of was touching him in places that weren’t necessarily appropriate in the middle of the restaurant. How her hand would feel touching and rubbing and pumping. The noises she would bring out of him as she brought him over the edge with her mouth and tongue and lips-

“Luka.” Adrien’s tone was clipped but he calmed slightly at her touch. Marinette shook herself out of her daydream and thanked the heavens she was behind him as her face flushed even darker.

Luka raised a brow and smirked. “Adrien.” His voice wasn’t as curt as Adrien’s but it wasn't necessarily friendly either. 

“Hi Luka.” Marinette gave him a shy wave and positioned herself to stand beside Adrien as opposed to directly behind him. Adrien bit his cheek to stop the possessive growl trying to push forward from his chest. Knowing his case of bad luck, Luka would take her away from him just as he's worked up the courage to tell her both his story and his pent up feelings.

“We were just leaving.” Adrien went to continue walking, desperate to leave the tense atmosphere they've created when Luka stepped in front of Marinette. 

“How are you feeling?” He lifted her chin up and felt her forehead with his other hand, worriedly peering down at her with his blue eyes. “Did you want to grab a drink with me before you go?”

Adrien's eyes narrowed in warning at Luka. Marinette’s body ran warm again as a heat wave surged over her. She glanced over and noticed Adrien’s clenched jaw and unwavering stare. She pulled her head out of Luka’s grasp and ran her hand up Adrien’s arm to clutch his bicep. 

She didn’t understand why she suddenly felt the need to get as close to him as possible but it wasn't enough. She wanted his body on hers. 

“I’m sorry Luka but Adrien and I were heading out. Maybe some other time?” She offered him a smile, ignoring Adrien’s smug and prideful look at her decline. 

Her body was telling her to leave with one of the two men before her, her mind was telling her to leave with both of them and her heart wouldn't stop gushing for the blonde. Everything was confusing her and her hormones were running rampant, drawing up sexy scenario after sexy scenario. The room started to heat up and she felt it getting stuffy as she tried keeping her composure intact. She needed release and she needed it now.

Luka grumbled something under his breath but grinned and took a step back. “You know where to find me if you change your mind.” 

Adrien let go of her hand and found the small of her back, pushing her forwards and out of the restaurant leaving Luka and their friends behind. Marinette couldn’t help but gasp as the cool, fresh air hit her face causing her heated body to almost sigh with relief. The images of that threesome simmered until it faded from her desire entirely. 

Adrien led her to his car and opened the passenger door for her. She thanked him and settled herself down as he got into the driver's seat. Before she knew it they were driving down the street and she only started to speak when he turned in the opposite direction from her apartment. 

“Um Adrien? You’re going the wrong way.” She fiddled with her fingers nervously beside him. 

He chuckled and turned into a parking garage. “I know. We’re going to my place.” 

She watched him park the car and help her out, taking her hand to lead her into the elevator. The rest of the walk to his own apartment door was silent. He unlocked it and ushered her in, turning on some of the lights.

Marinette’s seen his apartment a few times in passing but each time she’s left in awe at the elegant feel. Everything took on a modern look. From his dark floors to the gray walls and leather seating. His kitchen off to the side sat clean with steel appliances. There were just enough windows to fill the space with natural light; well, the moonlight in this case since it was nighttime.

His chuckle brought her out of her daze and she cleared her throat in embarrassment. If this apartment didn’t scream _rich model,_ she didn’t know what did.

He hung up his coat near the door and took hers off her shoulders to hang next to his. Well, technically they were both his but she had borrowed it. Technicalities. 

He ran his hand through his hair, ruffling it up a bit to take on that wild look like had many girls fawned over. Marinette included.

She turned her flustered face away from him and walked over to his kitchen. She opened the fridge, cringing as she saw how healthy everything in it was, and grabbed a bottle of his wine.

She turned around to see him casually leaning back against the bar with a knowing gleam in his eye. His hands were gripping the bar with his elbows bent and his ankles crossed leisurely. She stuck her tongue out at him. “Hey! It’s not my fault someone decided it was time to leave before I finished my drink.” 

He laughed, holding his hands up in surrender form and pointed at one of his top cabinets so she knew where to retrieve the wine glasses from. She hopped up on the counter and looked back over her shoulder to him in question as she shook one of the glasses out.

He licked his lips, nodding his answer as he tried ignoring how her jeans hugged her ass and how she was enticing and teasing him unknowingly. She set the glasses down, closed the cabinet and turned her body so she was sitting properly on the counter. Her legs were dangled as she popped the cork from the top of the bottle and started to pour. 

He noticed how the dark red of the beverage matched her lips and he had to walk around to the other side of the bar to sit down, attempting to hide the situation steadily growing in his pants. She took a sip of her drink and stared at him with her innocent, doe eyes.

“So, what was so important that you had to literally run me out of the restaurant for?” 

Adrien looked directly at her, all traces of his playfulness washed away, blood running cold in nervousness. “Marinette,” he ran his thumb over his bottom lip, swallowing his fear and spoke before he could talk himself out of it, “What do you know about shifters?”


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Okay so here is where things get a little...well you guys can decide on the right word. Nothing too sexy yet but definitely getting there lol. Also let me know if you guys have any questions on the explanations. I know it was kinda confusing so let me know if I can clear anything up! Thanks for reading!

“Wh-what?” Marinette spluttered as she choked on her wine. She coughed and eyed him strangely. Adrien shot up from his seat at the sounds of her drink going down the wrong pipe but she waved him off. “You’re serious?”

He slowly sat back down apprehensively pushing his own wine away due to his loss of appetite and nodded at her. “Yes. What do you know about them?”

She probably resembled a gaping fish as she stared at him incredulously. She searched his eyes for any sign of joking and forced her mind to settle down, her shoulders dropping when she realized how serious he was. 

“Well...I mean...I know as much as the next person, I guess.” She mumbled, shrugging half-heartedly. “I think my favorite was that one bunny...” She tapped her chin like she was thinking before sarcastically saying, “Oh wait, he was on my cereal box.”

He sighed and ran his hand through his hair again as frustration bubbled in his chest. “Marinette! I’m being serious.”

“I am too!”

He sent her a glare causing her to rub her temples in a piqued way, jutting her bottom lip out as she thought. “Fine! My maman used to tell me stories when I was really little but that's all they were. Just stories.”

He swirled his wine around in his glass distractedly before pushing the stool out and standing up. “They’re not just stories, Marinette.”

Her eyes widened in confusion as she tried piecing together what he was trying to get at. “What are you saying? That they're _real_?” 

He hesitantly walked up to her and wrapped his fingers around her wine glass, setting it down beside her. He took one of her hands in his and cupped her blushed cheek in his other. He lowered his voice into a gentle lull when he spoke up.

“I will never hurt you, Marinette, and I will never let anything hurt you. You will always be safe with me and I will always protect you.” He stroked her cheek with his thumb, his green eyes vulnerable and so full with promise that it made Marinette melt a little.

“My world isn’t always the safest but I will never let anything happen to you. I swear.” He rested his forehead against hers and brought his other hand up to cup the back of her neck.

Marinette’s voice was shaky as she whispered back to him, “I know."

He swallowed and brought his lips down to kiss her forehead fondly before he stepped back and let her go. His hands already ached to grab her again but he knew she would need distance for the conversation that was about to unfold. 

Silence enveloped the room as they each tried gathering their thoughts up. Marinette was the first to break the silence. 

“They’re real, aren’t they.” She peered down at her fingers which rested in her lap, messing with them in uncertainty. “Shifters, I mean. And I guess...the stories.”

Adrien sighed as he studied her and mentally declared that he wasn’t going to beat around the bush anymore. “Yes.” His voice came out stronger than he thought it would have which surprised him but he suppressed it. “We’re real.”

Her blue eyes snapped to his so fast that he was surprised she hadn’t gotten whiplash. “ _ ‘We’re’ _ ?” He rubbed the back of his neck. “What do you mean by ‘ _ we’re’ _ ?”

He drew in a deep breath, “Maybe we should take this conversation somewhere a little more comfortable? This might take a while to explain if I’m being honest.”

Marinette kept her gaze steady on the outside but felt like she was trembling on the inside. So many questions were swimming through her mind and her damn body still thought I’d be fun to reach an inferno level of temperature. She was mildly aware that if her shirt was a lighter shade of red, her pit stains would be very noticeable. 

She hopped down off the counter on shaky legs and grabbed her glass of wine, following Adrien into his living room. He sat at one end of his leather couch, and waited until Marinette was settled on the other side before he continued. 

“What would you like to know?”

Marinette gave him a dumbfounded look. “Um preferably everything ?”

He chuckled at her sassy remark and propped his elbow up on the back of the couch, resting his head on his closed fist as he stared at her.

“There was a time when shifters weren’t just known as stories. In fact, you’d be surprised how many people are shifters out on the streets nowadays. How many people you pass with animal blood flowing through them.” He smiled at her scrunched up nose. “There was a time, many, many years ago, where we didn’t have to live in a constant state of fear. But we were hunted by the humans and many of us went into hiding.

There are technically two groups that shifters are divided into: hybrids and purebloods. If you’re a pureblood, that means that you only hold one animal inside of you. Oftentimes, purebloods are very powerful because of this. Hybrids are people who have many types of animal blood inside of them. Most of the time, a hybrid can choose a  _ primal _ animal to always fall back on but that doesn’t change the fact that their blood is tainted with numerous animal DNA; making them weaker than purebloods.”

Marinette shot him a confused look. “But isn’t it typically the more you have, the stronger you are?”

Adrien couldn’t help the proud grin that stretched across his face at his analytical mate. “Typically yes, but in this instance think about it like this...” his eyes danced around the room like he was searching for something. He stood up and wandered into a room that looked like an office to retrieve it, coming back into the living room only a moment later with a stack of books.

He grabbed her wine glass from her hand and set it down on the coffee table. He gripped her hand next and tugged her up from the couch so she was standing and facing him. He led her over to the front door and turned her around so she was facing the living room.

He balanced one of the books on her head only stopping to laugh at her when she shot him a puzzled look.

“Just trust me on this.” He winked at her playfully and she couldn’t help but giggle despite everything being sprung on her all at once. “Okay. You have one book on your head, right?” He waited until she confirmed it. “Pretend that one book equals one animal. Right now, you’re a pureblood.” He balanced a book on top of his head too before saying, “That makes me a pureblood too. Now, if I were to keep putting more books on your head...”

He made sure each book was balanced before he took his hands away from her. “Now you’re a hybrid.” He pointed to his one book that still sat on the apex of his head. “I’m still a pureblood. If I were to ask you to race me to that glass of wine right there without anyone's books falling, who do you think has the better chance of winning?”

She peered up at him with a competitive grin adjourned on her face. “Me!” Marinette wasted no time in taking off towards the wine. She shrieked at the unbalanced weight on her head and tried to not let them topple to the floor as she hurried towards the prize. Adrien burst into laughter at her struggle. She looked like a chicken, wobbling her head around to catch the unstable weight of the books.

Even the dominating cat inside of him wasn’t perturbed in the slightest at the fact that he was not only challenged but losing too.

She took one of the pillows closest to her and threw it at him. 

He hadn’t expected that and was thrown off guard as the pillow made contact with his stomach. He gave her a perplexed stare until he playfully growled at her as his eyes twinkled mischievously. “I wouldn’t have done that if I were you, M’lady.”

She ignored the heat pooling in between her thighs at his sulky voice and instead cried out in shock before turning tail and running. 

The books fell from both of their heads as he gave chase. Marinette sprinted into the kitchen, in attempts to distance herself from Adrien. She ended up on one side of the bar, while he stood confidently on the other side, peering at her with an almost predatory look in his emerald eyes. She looked around her and cried out in glee as she reached for a spatula. She held it up defensively in front of her, making sure to point the flatter end of it at him.

He crossed his arms over his chest and raised his brow. “You know, it isn’t smart to run from a predator like that. And you really think a flimsy spatula is going to do damage on me?”

She narrowed her eyes at him as she tried to come up with an escape plan. “Well, isn’t your ego a little big mister. You should know that I will never give up. Besides, I thought you said you’d never hurt me.” She shot him a victorious smirk. 

He tilted his head and peered at her through half-lidded eyes. “Who said anything about hurting you?” 

She knew she had backed herself into a corner yet she still tried to run. She threw the spatula at him and dashed off around the side of the bar to sprint off down the hall. But Adrien was quicker, dodging the spatula easily and grabbed her before she could sneak by. Compared to the endless training he received as a kid, this was mere childs play.

He wrapped his arms around her waist and lifted her off of the floor, hugging her to his chest. He leaned down to whisper in her ear, “Got you.” 

She fell limp in his arms when she realized her struggling wasn’t going to get her anywhere. She huffed, “Fine. You win.” The cat in him purred at his victory and took pride at the fight his mate brought on.

His chest vibrated with a chuckle as he walked her over to the counter and set her down, almost resuming the position she had taken up when they first arrived in his apartment. He stood in between her thighs, as she laid her hands on his chest. Her skin flushed and chest heaved as she calmed her racing heart down. 

She leaned forward, lying her forehead in the crook of his neck as she started to mess with the buttons on his shirt. He lazily wrapped his arms around her waist and laid his chin on top of her head.

“Alright, where were we…”

Marinette smiled. “You were talking about purebloods and hybrids.”

He smiled gently. “Yeah, and if a certain vixen,” he lightly pinched her sides, successfully eliciting a surprised yelp from her, before continuing, “would have just listened to me instead of challenging me, then you would have realized how much harder it is to control yourself when bearing more weight. The same thing applies for shifters.”

He twirled the end of her ponytail around his fingertips. “I’m not sure what stories you were told but shifters are ranked. And the way the ranking goes is pretty similar to how a pack is run. There are Alphas, Betas, Omegas and Rogues. Alphas are typically a pureblood; the more powerful you are, the higher in the status you become. A Beta is essentially any pureblood who isn’t an Alpha. 

“Omegas are generally used when talking about hybrids who share strong qualities of the Alphas animal. Because hybrids get to choose which animal they identify with, they can choose which Alpha they want to rule under. Typically they find an Alpha of the same animal but they aren’t limited to that. Those hybrids become that Alpha's Omega. And any hybrid who doesn’t want to be necessarily tied down by an Alpha, becomes a Rogue. And not all Rogues are bad or hybrid. Some don’t want to affiliate with any aspect of shifter life and some just want to roam free.

“Although it isn’t very smart to go without an Alpha for too long if you have an option. Without an Alpha's protection, many Rogues are hunted off. A pureblood rogue is very rare but that typically means that they did something very drastic and were punished and forced to leave the Alpha’s rule. More often than not, those are the shifters you have to look out for.”

Adrien had taken to drawing soothing circles on Marinette’s waist. “Every Alpha has a mark, their very own tattoo, somewhere on their body to confirm their rank within the shifter community. And their scent is different, bringing about a powerful air to them. Which is another way shifters can tell what rank you are when you step into a room. It's all dependent on how faint or strong your scent is. Most Alphas are something to fear and you never want to challenge one.” 

Marinette reached her hand up to cradle his cheek in her palm. He responded by nuzzling it and turning to place a gentle kiss on the inside of her hand. She stroked his cheek with her thumb in a comforting manner as she picked up how hard it was to talk about this. 

He sighed, pulled her closer to him and lowered his head to rest it softly on her shoulder, inhaling her scent. She moved her hand up to thread her fingers through his hair, running her nails lightly over his scalp. 

“The animal DNA that runs through a shifters blood can cause the person to shift into that animal. For purebloods It takes little to no energy to shift and they can shift whenever they want. Hybrids can only shift when their animal allows them too and they are insanely weak when they do. It drains them. But any shifter has the ability to manifest certain traits and qualities while in human form. Depending on a shifters animal, senses like smell and hearing are heightened...”

Adrien’s voice trailed off before he lifted his head up and off of her shoulder. She let her hands drop into her lap as she stared at him. His bright green eyes had darkened and the hands on her waist stilled. 

“Can I kiss you?” His voice was thick like honey and what was left of Marinette's control nearly melted away under his heated gaze. 

She swallowed, “Why?” She hoped her voice wasn’t as shaky as she thought it was.

“In case you hate me later.” His face tinted pink as heat ran to his cheeks. He sheepishly stepped back, running a hand through his hair self-consciously.

Marinette giggled and blushed, her eyes twinkling. “I could never hate you, Adrien.” She didn’t know if it was the wine that made her confidence rise or the vulnerable man in front of her, but she was suddenly very sure of herself. 

She reached forward and looped one of her fingers through a belt loop of his pants and pulled him back in. “And yes, you can kiss me.” She purred.

He drew his right hand up her neck to cup her cheek and tilted her head to angle her just right. He leaned down and pressed a feather like kiss along her neck and over her jaw. He paused just as he hovered over her parted lips, both panting as their breaths tangled together.

She wrapped her arms around his neck to pull him down, closing the remaining distance between them. She moaned at the feel of his soft lips meshing against hers. He tilted his head to capture hers in a more comfortable angle, effectively moving together in a slow, confident dance. 

Her legs wound themselves around his hips, trapping him to her as she tugged lightly on his hair. He ran his tongue over her bottom lip, seeking permission to explore her further. She mewled at the new sensation but broke apart before he could dip into her. 

Her cheeks were flushed a dark red and Adrien whimpered at the sight of her swollen lips. He needed more. It only took one kiss but he was already addicted. 

He dove back in, hungrier now that he had a taste of her. He wasted no time in tilting her jaw and prying her lips open with tender care. This was new, uncharted territory for Marinette and she only had the knowledge of make outs from Alya and books to go off of. She hoped it would be enough to make up for her lacking experience. 

He could feel her timid and shy advances and slowly took the reins. He coaxed her tongue with his, sucking on the tip, ravishing her with a starved fervor. It didn’t take Marinette long to follow in his steps and he groaned when she braved the unknown. 

She tasted like red wine and sugar and he couldn’t get enough.

He pulled away from her, smiling softly at the whine that escaped her, and trailed his kisses down her jaw, hastily finding the exposed skin of her neck. He licked and peppered kisses over her heated skin, making sure to suck and nip as he ventured further down her neck. Using his canines to scrap teasingly over the soft skin. 

She moaned and bit her bottom lip as he found her pulse. She hoped he couldn’t feel how fast her heart was beating as he loved her skin with his mouth. 

He eventually worked back up her neck, leaving a trail of saliva and love bites in his wake. Perhaps a hickey or two that would cause quite a hassle later on to cover.

He grabbed her chin in his fingers and brought her lips back onto his with a burning desire to continue his new found high. This kiss was passionate and needy and filled with fighting tongues and bruised lips and mangled moans.

Adrien knew had to step away before it escalated any further, if the uncomfortable, strained nuisance in his pants was anything to go by. Pecking her one last time, he dreadfully stepped back, unwrapping her arms and legs from around him.

He used the pad of his thumb to wipe away any of her lipstick that smeared on his face and smiled at the sight of her. He delighted in the fact that he covered her in his scent and his love bites. She was absolutely stunning, sitting on his counter wearing his kisses and small bruises proudly.

She sat in a daze and touched her swollen lips gently with her fingers. Every fantasy of kissing him flew out the window when compared to how his kisses felt in reality. She could never have guessed the euphoria that would come with his amorous advances or how he tasted like chocolate and wine. Her senses were on overload and all she wanted was to bring him back in and to see if he tasted that good everywhere on his body.

She cleared her throat and straightened her back. “So...uh...what - what did you say? Er- what did want? Um to say? You?” Her cheeks flamed the more she stuttered, still in a daze that had her mind spinning. 

He laughed gently but it was a little forced. “I don’t want you to hate me.”

She waved him off. “Adrien, I could never hate you. Especially if you kiss like  _ that _ .”

He worried his bottom lip in between his teeth as he contemplated what to say next. He started to unbutton his shirt which was awarded a squeak from Marinette who was still perched on top of the counter. She knew she had just been thinking about taking his clothes off but she hadn't actually prepared herself for it!

“It’s okay. I’m just showing you something.” He finished unbuttoning his shirt and let it fall open, leaving his well defined chest on display. He turned his hip slightly towards her and worked on pulling down his pants and boxers on the side just so she could see the mark engraved on his lower hip.

She gasped and covered her mouth with her hand as she waited for Adrien to confirm her thoughts.

“It’s my mark.” It was a beautiful dark green paw print that was no larger than a golf ball. He sighed, “...I’m an Alpha...” and looked straight into her blue eyes guilty, “And I’m your cat.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay I didn't intend for this chapter to be this long but there was so much I wanted to happen that I kind of just ran with it. Hope it was worth the wait and thank you for all of the kudos and comments! I read them all and they all put a smile on my face so thank you guys so much!

“Show me.”

Out of everything he thought she was going to say, he hadn’t expected that. He was prepared for yelling or crying or even deafening silence. But nothing could have prepared him for the words that just left her mouth. 

“What?”

“Prove it. Show me.”

Her eyes were wide and fearful but not because she was scared of him. She was afraid that he was right. Never in her wildest dreams did she ever envision him and her cat to be one being.

Adrien sighed and looked up at the ceiling, weighing the options in his head. “Before I do, I need you to know something.”

Marinette’s bottom lip trembled. “I don’t care! Show me!” 

He groaned into his hands at her headstrong annoyance. “Marinette, please understand-” He reached out to touch her but she hopped off the counter and stepped away from him. He curled his fingers into fists and stopped approaching her, clearly picking up on her uneasy actions.

“I’m trying to keep an open mind here, Adrien. But if you…if you are who you say you are…” Doubt and uncertainty clouded in her blue eyes.

“Marinette...I -.” His voice cracked but the mental guard that Marinette put up didn’t falter. 

The things she said to her cat, _did_ in front of her cat were racing through her mind at dizzying speeds. The endless conversations she’s had with him _about_ him were burning her memories. She could only produce a small shake of her head, taking another step back and wrapping her arms over her stomach. 

His gaze on her was full of uncertainty and mangled hope as he started to unbutton his pants thus warranting an uncomfortable Marinette. 

“What - what are you doing?”

He forced his designer jeans down his legs and shook them off before looking back at her with a look of apprehension. “I’m shifting.” He said meekly. “I don’t think this is how you’d like to see me naked so I’m making sure I have clothes to change into once I’m back as Adrien.” He tried hiding his nervousness behind a smirk but she still picked up on his anxious posture nonetheless.

Marinette knew, almost guilty, that if the atmosphere in the room was any different, he would have winked at her and they both would have laughed and everything would have been somewhat okay. But both people were tense for different reasons which left out any teasing actions. 

Adrien shrugged off his shirt, throwing it down beside his discarded jeans allowing Marinette’s eyes to roam over his almost completely naked body. He watched her with slight happiness at the way she seemed to be transfixed on him. Or well, his body.

His ultimate goal in life is to support her and their family and to make her happy.

And right now he wasn’t doing too great of a job with that but at least she had taken an interest in his body.

He was left standing with nothing on but his black boxers and Marinette felt every breath in her body leave. If she thought his chiseled jaw was sexy, she didn’t know what to think with this display. His shoulders were wide and his body was inviting with strong muscles and sharp ridges that she wanted nothing more than to trace.

She wanted to see where his deep ‘v’ led to and how he would look sweaty and covered in her own love bites after a night of love making.

Her body heated up and she knew for a fact that this time, it wasn’t because she had a fever. 

Marinette was bathed in a scarlet blush by the time she made eye contact with Adrien again. He raised his brow and smirked knowingly at her, flexing a little for show. She scowled at him, “Don’t get smart with me, Agreste. You’re the one claiming you’re my cat!”

He rubbed the back of his neck anxiously. “I am, Princess. I just -” he lowered his gaze to the floor looking like an animal that was just caught in a snare. Trapped and uncomfortable. “I just don’t want to lose you.”

She huffed, crossing her arms over her chest. “Yeah? Well, I wouldn’t hold your breath.”

Marinette noticed him wince out of the corner of her eye and had to talk herself out of giving him a hug. Something about this broke her heart but she was upset at him for keeping everything a secret. For practically invading every private moment in her life over the last six years.

She focused her attention on him as he drew in a final breath and finally gave into his shift. She watched the fur sprout out and the claws replace his nails. The sounds of bones cracking and breaking to form his new body was echoing around the apartment, causing Marinette to cringe inwardly. 

Before she knew it, she was looking down at a black cat with peridot, slitted eyes. There was no denying it. He was her cat.

His lithe form sat on his hunches as he pressed his ears flat against his head worriedly, curling his tail around his paws self-consciously.

She gasped and raised a sky hand to her mouth. He slowly slinked closer to her in small, timid steps. Adrien contemplated shifting into the other cats when she spoke up.

“Is that...you shift...into a cat?” She sounded like she was hypnotized or in a daze as the words she was saying didn’t really make sense.. He hung his head and laid down once he reached her feet. She looked down at him and turned her body to rest her forearms on the counter, gripping at her head with wide unbelieving eyes.

He jumped up on the counter beside her and gently rubbed his head against her arm. She jerked back in surprise but relaxed a little when she noticed him back up. She rubbed her face in her hands, groaning at her luck.

“I am so unbelievably _pissed_ at you. No...that’s not the right word. Disappointed? Upset?” She roughly toyed with her ponytail and settled her focus back on him. “I told you things Adrien! I told you things that were _private_! I confided in you. And I trusted you.” She knew she was laying it on thick, but she couldn’t help it as everything started to bubble up and over.

He whimpered at the sight of her unshed tears, lowering his head in shame but not taking his eyes off of her. 

“I’ve changed in front of you! You’ve seen me naked and insecure! I danced around my room in my underwear because I thought you were my cat! Just a stray who seemed to enjoy my company. For years Adrien! Do you see how messed up that is?!” Her eyes were wild and dancing with memories that she wished she could erase. 

“You’ve seen me at my weakest and you never once thought-” she choked on her sentence as the tears spilled over, trailing down her cheeks. “You never once thought that maybe, just maybe I needed you. As a person and a friend and…” 

She covered her mouth with her hand to hold back the sob that wanted to push through. She didn’t hear him jump off the counter or shift back and was shocked when she felt human hands lightly take hold of her wrist. He pulled it away from her mouth, meeting her swollen eyes with a sorrowful gaze of his own.

“Marinette, I never intended-”

She jerked away from him with a hurt rage overcoming her features. “You never intended _what_ exactly? To hurt me? To toy with my heart? How long were you going to put up the act? Forever?”

His nostrils flared as he suppressed the words that wanted to flow out of him. Meeting her yells with yells of his own wasn’t going to fix anything. 

“Marinette, my intention from the very beginning, was never to hurt you.” He gently pulled her wrist again, a little astounded that she didn’t fight him, and directed her into his chest for a hug. He guessed she was too numb not to. He held her tightly as she fell apart in his arms. “I met you six years ago in lychee when we were fourteen.” He whispered, cradling her closer.

“And I have loved you every day since then. I swore that I was going to protect you and love you from that day forward but my father didn’t approve of it. You weren’t a pureblood, you weren’t even a shifter, which means if you were to carry and birth my kids at some point in the future, the Agreste bloodline would stop being pure and authentic.” He brushed his fingers over her hair in a soothing manner. “But I didn’t care then and I don’t care now.”

She hiccupped into his chest as she tried calming down.

“He banned me from dating you and even tried getting me to stop being your friend at one point but he never said anything about visiting you in my shifted form. So I decided that if I couldn’t have you as myself, then I would have you as a cat.” He chuckled. “I’m sorry, that sounded weird.” 

She sniffed and nodded, agreeing with him, and wiped the mascara from under her eyes with her knuckle. 

He smiled, pressing a light kiss to the top of her head. “You were my best friend, Mari. You _are_ my best friend. I just got so used to hanging out with you in my feline disguise that I’m afraid I might have backed myself into a corner when we eventually grew up. I mean, how do you tell someone something like this without losing them?” His voice dripped in vulnerability and insecurity. “And I was so afraid - hell I still am - that I was going to lose you and the thought of losing you…”

He clung to her tighter. “You are your own person with your own choices and I acknowledge and respect that. If you want to walk out of my apartment and never speak to me again I - I would understand. I wouldn’t like it but I love you enough to…to...” He bit his lip and squeezed his eyes shut, “If you wanted to leave me, I would let you.” Tears of his own started to trail down his cheeks. 

The last time he cried was at his mother’s funeral when he was little.

“My world is dangerous Marinette and I wanted to keep you out of harm's way but I realized I can’t do that if I wanted to love you like I want to. I want to take you on dates and spoil you and treat you like the queen that you are to me.” He smiled blissfully, wiping at the stupid tears on his face. He was an Alpha for god sakes. He wasn’t supposed to be crying. “But your happiness will always come before my own.”

Marinette pulled back and watched as he quickly sniffed and looked away to hide the fact that he had been crying. She almost laughed at his quiet “dammit” but her own emotions were running haywire throughout her body causing her to remain numb and void of feeling anything towards him. She didn’t know what to think or say. His confession made her take a few mental steps back to understand his side of the story and the whole picture.

But she was still very aware of her own feelings and thoughts on everything. 

She reached her hand up to cup his cheek, slowly turning his face back to hers. “I don’t hate you, Adrien. I’m still upset about everything but I don’t hate you and you’re not going to lose me. What you said doesn’t make what you did okay, but I do recognize that we’re both in the wrong here and putting the blame on one person isn’t the best thing right now. For either of us.” She wiped under his eyes to rid his face of his tears.

She couldn’t ignore the hope flickering in his green eyes or how her heart lurched at it but she did need to clear her mind. She needed to breathe and get away for a little bit. 

“You’re not losing me, Kitty. But I need time to think, okay? I’ve been told a lot of things today and I’m pretty overwhelmed.” She stroked her thumb over his cheek bone comfortingly while he gently grabbed her wrist, turning his head to kiss her palm.

“Okay.” He whispered. 

She retracted her hand from his face and backed up when she noticed how very, _very_ naked that man was. She shrieked and covered her face with her hands in embarrassment. “Adrien!” 

He laughed at her and walked over to pull his clothes back on. She turned around in horrified shock and walked over to his door, hearing him call out to take a jacket since it was cold. She rolled her eyes at the overprotective Alpha and left, taking a small breathe before letting go of the door handle completely. 

She didn’t know where she wanted to go, but she knew her resolve was breaking the longer she stayed with him. And then an idea struck her. Maybe it was time to take Luka up on his offer of getting drinks together.

~~~~~~~

Marinette rubbed her arms in reassuring strokes as she wandered down the street and towards the restaurant. She crossed her fingers that Luka was still there. She really needed a friend to talk to and a little alcohol never hurt anyone. 

That’s when she perked up and whipped out her phone. A friend! She scrolled through her contact list, lighting up when she found Alya’s number. It took a couple of rings before she answered.

“Hey girl, you okay? I kind of figured you would be with Adrien right now.” 

“Um yes about that…I’m kind of...I don’t really know how to explain it but I’m really freaked out...” Marinette bit her lip trying to figure out what to tell her friend. The line was silent for a couple seconds before Alya hesitantly spoke up. 

“So from what I’m hearing is he probably told you everything...?”

Marinette’s eyes shot wide in bewilderment. “You knew?!”

Alya guiltily sighed into the phone, cringing inwardly even though Marinette couldn’t see. “I’m a fox hybrid, M. He’s my Alpha.”

Marinette’s mouth hung open as she stared blankly ahead. It was almost 11 at night which meant the streets were pretty clear of people. She didn’t register Alya calling her name or the footsteps that stopped behind her when she did.

All she could process in that moment was how much of her life up until that point was kept in the dark and in the unknown. Not only by her crush but also by her best friend. Two people who she trusted without hesitation. Two people who were hiding some very important information about their lives. 

What else didn’t she know? And who else knew about everything? Nino? Was he lying to her too?

But above all of her confusion, was anger. She was angry and confused and so alone.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Marinette’s voice was thick in sadness and betrayal. 

“Look, Mari...I didn’t...it wasn’t…”

“He told you not to, didn’t he.” It came out more of a statement than a question once Marinette caught onto the reason behind Alya’s reluctance to answer. “That dick told you not to tell me about everything.”

“He only wants to keep you safe, M.”

Marinette scoffed at her phone. “That’s not for him to decide! I’m not a baby!”

“I never said you were, Mari. And we all know that you are a hell of a strong person but it’s not always rainbows and sunshine in our...world…” Alya’s voice trailed off. “Wait, where are you?”

“Why does it matter.”

“Marinette if you’re not with Adrien anymore then where are you?” The nervous, stern tone that Alya had taken up put Marinette on edge even as frustrated as she was.

“Um I’m walking towards that restaurant that we had dinner at. Why?”

It was muffled but Marinette could hear the slight string of curses that were filtering out of Alya’s mouth and the rough movement on the other end of the phone as she rummaged around. 

“Alya? What’s wrong?”

She couldn’t pinpoint why exactly, but she suddenly felt like there were eyes on her and she was being watched. Her heart sank to her stomach as she slowly became aware of her surroundings and the fact that she wasn’t as alone as she thought she was. 

“Marinette, I need you to go back to Adrien!” 

“Alya I can’t. I need time to wrap my head around everything! Besides, I'm closer to the restaurant than his apartment now.”

Alya groaned. “You don’t understand! You’re an hour away from going into a full blown heat! You need his protection.”

Marinette had picked up her pace to try and get to her destination faster. She couldn’t seem to outrun the stares or Alya’s yelling no matter how fast she walked.

“Marinette are you even listening to me? I will call him to come get you!”

She let out a breath she didn’t know she was holding when the restaurant came into view. “Alya I’m fine. I made it to the restaurant. I’m going to have a drink or two and figure shit out and I do not need him or anyone for that matter breathing down my neck while doing so.”

“You’re not safe, M!” Alya growled out. “I’m going to meet you. Just...try to stay out of trouble until I get there.”

“I do not need you to come babysit me Alya.” Marinette grumbled. She walked in through the entrance and made her way over to the bar area, her shoulders sinking in disappointment when she couldn’t locate Luka anywhere.

“Well, it’s either gonna be me or Adrien so you pick.” 

Marinette rolled her eyes and ordered a drink, begrudgingly telling Alya that she would prefer her over Adrien at the moment. With nothing else to say, Marinette hung up and focused on the beverage in her hand.

She hung her head in mental exhaustion, trying to wrack her brain of the night's events. She was startled by someone sitting down beside her on the next bar stool. The pungent stench of old liquor and gross body odor wafted through the air, causing Marinette to gag.

“Well, aren’t you a cute little thing, Cupcake.” 

Marinette eyed the creepy man with a glare, fighting back the urge to put him in his place. She now understood what Alya had been saying. But she was strong and she wasn’t going to let some rotten old man who looked like he belonged in a rehab center take her down.

“Please don’t talk to me.” Her tone was clipped and held a warning to it that he apparently ignored.

“Aw, come on now, you don’t mean that.” He purred, getting closer to her. His hair was greasy and his eyes were dark and hazy and clearly drunk or high or both. Marinette didn’t want to be there anymore and anywhere but here seemed to be more appealing to her. 

This was a bad idea. This was a really,  _ really  _ bad idea.

She turned in her chair to get up but the man was quicker and pinned her against the bar. He took a deep breath and fixed his focus on her with lusting intentions crawling all over him. His fingers lightly messed with the end of her ponytail, smiling and giving Marinette a view of his remaining yellow teeth.

“You wouldn’t mind if I had a small bite now would you?” His lips tugged into a smirk, causing a disgusting shiver to run up her spine. She tried elbowing him and squirmed to get loose of his hold which only seemed to rile him up more in an amusing, twisted sort of way. “Such a sweet, sweet scent you’ve got there.”

“Get off of me!” She didn’t let up on her struggle in his grasp in attempts to flee but she was quickly becoming aware of how fruitless it was. The old man’s grip was strong and he was determined.

A hand clasped onto the man’s shoulder, roughly forcing him off of Marinette. Her savior stepped out from the shadows with a scowl of his own directed at the man who was stumbling and trying to stay on his feet. 

“I think the lady said to get off of her.” Luka smiled down softly at her and tilted his chin as he peered back over to the man with a sinister look. “And you’ll keep your hands to yourself if you know what’s good for you.” A dark hiss escaped from Luka as he glared at the old man who was clearly too afraid to make eye contact anymore.

Luka took her hand in his and walked them to the other side of the bar, chuckling a little to himself. “And what do I owe the pleasure of running into you again on this fine evening, mademoiselle?” 

Marinette uneasily bobbed on the balls of her feet, unaware that she was shuffling closer to him. Luka rested his hand respectfully and gently on her lower back, to ease her into the bar stool next to his. He smiled reassuringly at her. “It’s alright, Marinette. You’re safe with me.”

She eyed him skeptically before drawing in a breath and pulling on her big girl panties, finally giving in to his enticing looks. She worried her bottom lip in between her teeth as Luka ordered them drinks. 

“Alright let's try this approach instead, where’s lover boy?” Luka asked gruffly, looking around the room with searching eyes.

“He - he isn’t here.” She said softly. Luka’s brow rose in surprise before he settled back into a relaxed pose. Marinette swallowed the longing feeling of her kitty and instead focused on giving him a confused look. “What?”

“Nothing. That’s just shocking to me. Didn’t think he’d let you out of his sight for a while.” He waved off her questioning stare and sipped his drink. “So, why are you here?”

She shrugged, lifting her own drink to her lips. The cool liquid slid down her throat temporarily putting out the heat in her stomach. “I have a lot on my mind.”

“Ah, so I take it you finally know.” 

Marinette stared at him with parted lips and wide eyes. Things should really stop being this surprising after what’s happened so far tonight, she mused. In fact, she probably should have guessed that he was a shifter himself with how Adrien and Luka acted around each other.

He smirked at her and grabbed his black shirt, pulling the collar down to show off a tattoo proudly. Two tiny triangles sat just above his collarbone but the closer Marinette looked, the more she realized that it wasn’t just a tattoo - it was a mark similar to Adrien’s paw print. The tips were curved and the edges were rigid as opposed to straight and clean.

“Fangs.” Luka said as he fixed his shirt. “They’re supposed to represent my fangs.” 

She gulped and adjusted herself in her seat uncomfortably. She wasn’t afraid of him much like she wasn’t afraid of Adrien because she knew neither of them would ever hurt her. But her skin was tingling with the thought of running into another shifter and how oblivious she was to the fact. Yet again.

“You’re an Alpha.”

“Yep. A viper Alpha to be more specific.” He ran the tip of his tongue over his lips, wetting them before sipping on his liquor. 

“I guess Adrien was right then.”

He raised a brow at her in question. 

She cleared up his confusion by saying, “He told me that there were more shifters on the street than I realized.” 

He sighed and swirled the remnants of his drink in his cup. “Yes, you could say that. But not everyone is always so forthcoming. Besides, some shifters don’t acknowledge the animal side of them and some shifters don’t even know that they are a shifter.” 

Marinette didn’t know what to say but the heat that surged over her body mixed with the stabbing pain in her lower abdomen had her gulping in down her drink with ferocity.

“Marinette…”

She waved Luka’s concern off and asked the bartender for some iced water. She heard Luka grumble something and put his hand over his mouth and nose. She panicked for a moment thinking that she smelt bad but the pain that surged through her again made the words on her tongue vanish.

“Marinette I need to know why you left Adrien.” Luka spoke to her with a tone that she had never heard come from him before. He was usually so laid back and relaxed that this new tone sobered her up.

She hunched her shoulders, trying to force the pain to subside quicker. “I-I’m a little...overwhelmed I guess. I needed to breath and clear my head.” 

“I understand it’s a lot to take in.” He agreed. “But it wasn’t exactly a smart choice with your heat coming up.” 

She turned to face him, raking in his nimble form and sturdy posture. How it would feel to have his arms wrapped around her and his hand gripping her neck while he plunged his fangs into her pulse. She grit her teether and had to shake her head to rid it of those thoughts. “Everyone keeps saying that but I don’t know what that means. Heat?”

It was his turn to stare at her in shock. “You mean to tell me that Adrien didn’t explain what  _ heat  _ was?” 

Marinette glanced away guilty. “Well, I sorta maybe freaked out a little and left before he could...finish explaining.” 

His eyes widened in worry and he gripped her hand in his. “Marinette, heat is something that an unclaimed female shifter goes through once a year unless they’re pregnant to ensure the shifter community doesn’t go extinct. The unclaimed female produces pheromones that give off a certain scent which entices every unclaimed male that catches her scent.” He rubbed his temples exasperatedly. 

“But I’m - I’m not a shifter?” Her voice came out meekly as she absorbed his words. Only she could manage to escape into the night to digest the information already given to her, only to gather more information on top of that.

He groaned and looked around the bar area to scope out any unwanted attention. “It’s probably because Adrien’s laid his mark on you. If I remember correctly, you said he’s stuck with you for many years in his cat form. Because he’s an unclaimed male and an Alpha at that, he’s pretty much left his claim on you without actually claiming you. His hormones have set off your hormones in a way because you both are pretty bonded.”

He downed the last of his drink before slamming it down on the counter. “Dammit Marinette! Why’d you have to leave him at a time like this. And why in the hell would that idiot let you?” He gripped her wrist and pulled her towards the door. “We need to leave.”

She stumbled after him, trying to ignore the waves of pleasure and pain ripping through her. It was almost midnight - the clock was ticking. 

“You’re naturally going to want to mount any unclaimed male on two legs once you go into full on heat.”

“But you’re an Alpha right? Doesn’t that mean...anything?” Marinette asked as she tried rubbing her thighs together to hit the part of her that needed release the most as he continued to pull her through the throngs of people.

He caught sight of her actions and groaned loudly. “Yes, but if you keep doing things like that, the last bits of my control will snap. And I’m currently the only thing that’s stopping other males from cornering you.” He hurried them both through the doors of the entrance, and started to tug her down the street. “Look Marinette, I’m not going to lie to you.” He stopped them and pulled her off to the side once he deemed them safe enough. 

He placed his hands on her shoulders, forcing her to look at him. “I took a liking to you when we first met. You’re creative and you’re fun to be around. You get me and you accepted my music with open arms.” He smiled down at her, cupping her cheek, “And you’re incredibly beautiful too.” The smile fell from his face and he took on a rather sad, wistful look. “I was originally going to fight tooth and nail for you, but even I can’t deny that you and that  _ feline  _ Alpha have something special.”

He dropped his hand away from her face and took a step back. “Never doubt for a second that I want you because I will always want you, Marinette. But,” he swallowed and shoved his hands into his coat pockets. “I lost. Well, I guess there wasn’t really a competition in the first place. Some part of me always knew who you’d ultimately end up with. And my viper hates me for this-” he gestured to her, “For letting you go and I will always probably regret it. But I want you to be happy above everything else so I guess I just wanted to let you know that I’ll back off.”

Marinette’s eyes glossed over with tears but they didn’t fall. Instead she smiled at him like she did the first time they met back in the first day of class. “Thank you Luka. I would love to still be your friend though if that’s okay?”

He nodded slowly, his voice raspy, “We’ll see, Mari.”

“Girl!” 

The bubble that Marinette had been consumed in, popped as she heard an out of breath Alya running to catch up to them. 

“What are you doing? It’s almost midnight and you’re out on the street! Are you insane or are you stupid?” Her amber eyes were wide with disbelief. She caught sight of Luka and grabbed Marinette’s wrist, standing in front of her protectively. She growled lightly and narrowed her eyes at him. 

He chuckled and smirked. “Down girl. I was only making sure she was safe. Same as you”

Alya relaxed slightly but crossed her arms over her chest in warning. He shrugged and shoved his hands into his coat pockets. “But you could lose the attitude, pup. That’s no way to address an Alpha now is it?” Luka told Alya with a raised brow. He started to walk back towards the restaurant, only stopping to look over his shoulder. 

“You might want to hurry there vixen, you’ve only got a couple more minutes.” He winked and continued his journey in the direction he just came from. 

Alya faced Marinette, looking her over. “Are you okay girl? I was so worried! I was at Nino’s so it was a little further and then there was traffic and-”

Marinette wrapped her arms around her stomach, crouching down as whimpers escaped her lips. Alya winced and bit her lip as she rubbed circles on her back. “I know it’s uncomfortable but we have to keep walking. You’re going to start attracting all of the wrong attention. And unfortunately I can only protect you so much.”

Marinette nodded and squeezed her eyes shut as another wave of heat enveloped her. Alya hooked her arm through Marinette’s, helping to hold her up on her shaky legs. 

“I need you to not be mad at me okay M?”

Marinette rested her head on her shoulder, blinking up at her with glazed over eyes. 

“Because I sort of, maybe called Adrien after we hung up. Girl, he’s a mess. A total wreck after you left. I was actually worried about him. He was so unsure and scared. I don’t...I don’t think I’ve ever heard him like that. He’s always so calm and certain and confident that I just,” Alya adjusted Marinette so her arm was around the heated girl’s waist to hold her better, “He loves you, M. He really, really loves you.” 

“Alya!” 

Alya never thought she would have felt such joy and relief from such a panicked voice. “Adrien!” She called out. The blonde came bounding over to them in quick strides, whimpering softly upon noticing Marinette’s state. 

“She’s hurting.” Alya said as he neared them. He immediately brought his hands up to cup Marinette’s heated face, smiling lightly at the soft moan that escaped her. His touch still affected her and calmed her raging body down just a little. She pushed off of Alya, trying to get closer to the disheveled blonde as he hugged her into him. 

He scooped her up in his arms bridal style, cradling her closer to him. She wrapped her arms around his neck, letting out a content sigh as his bare skin met her bare arms. He was currently shirtless and only clad in sweatpants.

She rested her forehead in the crook of his neck, breathing him in. He kissed her temple and rubbed small circles on her with his thumb, his chest quietly vibrating with purrs. 

He looked back to Alya, noticing her phone light up. Her face paled and she swallowed thickly, turning the screen to face him. “Midnight.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lmao we all know what's about to happen...


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know we were all expecting some rather hot things to unfold in this chapter but I needed to explain just a couple more things before we actually dive into the fun stuff. This chapter is full of lots of cute, fluffy moments so prepare yourself for some long overdue steamy scenes XD 
> 
> We do still have lots to figure out the more we get into the story but for now, I hope you guys enjoy it!

Marinette knew two things at the moment. One, that she was hot in a needy type of way. She was really, really hot. Two, something smelled good. Like really, _really_ good. Sweet and wild and dangerous and so enticing.

She pressed her body closer to the source of the delectable smell, rubbing her nose along the scent trying to get a deeper wift of it. A giddy smile stretched across her face as she trailed open-mouthed kisses along it, occasionally biting, trying to quell her need to indulge in it.

A crossed sound of a growl and groan was heard as she licked and nipped at Adrien’s jugular. His hold on her waivered a little which almost entailed him letting go of her completely and Alya burst into a laugh from beside him. They had taken up the walk back to his apartment with a newfound hurry since realizing how late it was. 

Midnight struck a new day - the start of a very hellish week for a couple of people. Marinette would be entering a full blown heat and if they were lucky, it would creep up in the next few hours as opposed to the next few minutes since they were still out in the open. However, judging by the rate of Marinette’s reliant, desperate attempts to mark him up, he assumed they only had an hour at best before she became a horny, clingy mess.

He tried adjusting her in his arms to stop her advances but she only mewled and latched on tighter. Her fingers ran slowly up his neck and threaded into his hair, gripping and tugging to direct him into angling his neck for a better approach. 

“Marinette, baby, you have to stop or we aren't going to be making it back to-” 

She ignored his heeded warning by harshly biting into his shoulder, making sure to leave a furious red welt behind along with indented teeth marks. His eyes bugged out in shock as he yelped and reeled back but despite the pain that came with it, his body erupted into pleasurable shivers, especially as she licked and kissed it to tenderize the bruising skin. 

He swallowed thickly, trying his damndest to ignore the swelling of his cock, and instead focusing on his destination. However, the female in his arms was making it seem impossible to get one foot in front of the other let alone another block down the street.

Pain was no stranger to him, given his past, but he had never been so turned on in his life than in this moment. The pleasure that racked through him as her lips left trails of saliva and small hickies all around his tanned skin had his head reeling.

Going against every instinct in his body, he set her down on her feet. She whimpered as she realized her compromised position and gripped harder on his neck in refusal to be let go. Alya snickered at his helpless situation and pretended to not notice them as she continued walking towards his apartment. She called over her shoulder, “I’ll make sure it’s clean for you two, Sunshine.” 

He gave Alya a curt nod to show that he heard her but gave her no more of his attention. He grasped Marinette’s arms in his hands, lightly but firmly pulling out of her death-grip. She stared at him with her doe eyes and pulled her arms to her chest defensively. He hated to admit it but that seemed to sober her up and out of her horny, clouded mind.

“You don’t want me?” She said weakly. He knew if was her heat induced mind talking but it still made his heart clench in his chest.

His mouth hung open in disbelief as he reached to cradle her face. “Princess, I will always want you.” He practically growled out, eyes darkening as his heated gaze trailed over her. “But you can’t be biting me and kissing me like that outside of the apartment.” 

She jutted her bottom lip out in a pout, eyes twinkling in mischief. “Why? What are you going to do about it?” She purred, her pout falling from her face to be replaced with a smirk. 

“If I told you what I wanted to do to you, you’d probably run away from me.” Marinette’s body flamed in arousal at his words and how husky his voice sounded. Her clit throbbed and she needed release as she dripped in arousal. His hand traveled to the back of her neck, pulling her close to him so he could lightly kiss her heated skin while breathing her in simultaneously. “Besides, the last thing I want is to attract a crowd.” He whispered.

He drew back from her, clearing his throat. “I’ll pick you up again but you can’t bite me. Okay? At least not right now.” She smiled up at him, having to stand on her tippy toes to reach, so she could wrap her arms around his neck again. He leaned down to grasp her thighs in his hands, lifting her up to wrap her legs around his torso. She laid her chin on his shoulder allowing her fingers to mess with the soft hair at his nape.

He supported her bum in his hold so she sat comfortably in his arms and started walking towards his apartment again. She sighed, cringing a little after taking in the harsh mark she created, “Sorry I bit you.” She said, lightly tracing the inflamed skin on his shoulder. It was dark red mixed with nasty purple as it was starting to bruise, with a little bit of dried blood caking around it from where her sharper teeth broke the skin. 

He chuckled at her, rubbing her back in soothing circles. “Are you kidding? In a way you left your mark on me and I’ve never been in a more blissful state than right now. And I promise you that I want nothing more than for you to mark up my body and bite me in places that probably shouldn’t be bit as soon as we step into my apartment. But there are things we still need to discuss before that.” 

“Then why’d you get mad at me?” She felt her cheeks warm up in embarrassment at the fact that he was angry with her even if it was just for a moment. She was still a little upset at him from a few hours prior but that didn’t mean she wanted to anger him. He was still one of her best friends.

He barked out a laugh at her, finally reaching the entrance to his building. He decided on taking the elevator since he lived on the top floor and he wanted to be lazy. “I promise I wasn’t mad at you, baby. If anything, I was really, really turned on and a little surprised if I'm being honest. Hell I still am. But I knew if you continued to do that to me, then my control would eventually snap. You’re all over me right now in a very horny state, love, my control is already wearing thin as it is.” 

“Sorry.” Her reply came out muffled as her head was buried in the crook of his neck but he only kissed her head in reassurance. 

“You have nothing to be sorry for, mon chérie. I am all yours to fill every desire you have. You never have to apologize for wanting something so natural.” 

The elevator dinged letting them know that they’ve reached their floor. He walked them over to his door, pushing it open to see that Alya had cleaned most of it up since he rampaged after Marinette’s absence. He walked her over to the bar stool, setting her down to grab her a glass of water. 

He noticed a note on the counter and quickly skimmed it to read that Alya had tidied everything up before she left and he couldn’t help the blush that coated his cheeks when he read that Marinette was on the pill. He chuckled at Alya as she wrote how she left another box of condoms on the bathroom counter just in case and despite Marinette being on the pill.

Adrien had to remember to thank her somehow for everything she did. She truly was a really good friend. He finished grabbing the ice water and handed it to Marinette as he went over to lock his door. He turned to face her and choked on his spit. She had thrown his hoodie on the floor and was working on pushing her black jeans down her legs.

He panted at the sight of her almost naked and swallowed his growl of approval down before she noticed it. His voice was scratchy when he spoke up, “What - what are you doing Mari?”

She turned to him with half lidded eyes and fixed him a sultry look, “I’m hot...” she whined. He bit his lip as his eyes raked over her form, gulping when she tugged her red blouse from her sticky figure. She was left standing in her matching black lace bra and panties. 

He ran his hand through his hair as she sat back down on her bar stool, lifting the glass of water to her lips for a drink. Adrien leaned against the door, his hold on the handle tightening and almost breaking it off as he watched her throat move in time with her gulps.

He wanted nothing more than to trace his lips down her throat, drinking in her scent and her taste as he worked his way towards the part of her that longed for him the most…

He shook his head and walked past her down the hallway to his bedroom, blowing out the breath he was holding. The idea of talking with Marinette when she was only clad in her underwear was a dangerous game. Which is why he needed her to put something on in an attempt to cover the temptation. 

The notion of taking something from Marinette without her permission never dawned on him for the mere fact that it would never happen. He would never let that happen but she was very alluring nonetheless with her curves and full breasts and tantalizing sweet smell. 

He grabbed one of his thin white button up shirts and a pair of his clean boxers for her to put on. Once he gathered up enough control to walk back out to her, she glared at the articles of clothing in his grasp like they had been dipped in poison. 

Her eyes glossed over as she crossed her arms and turned away from him. “C’mon baby, I need to talk with you for a few minutes and it’s a little…” his eyes rolled over her form, darkening with want and lust, “you’re a little distracting right now.” 

She eyed him with a look of disapproval before rolling her eyes and standing up with a huff. She held her hand out and he placed his clothes in her stretched out hand. “They’re the lightest things I own so you shouldn’t get too overheated and they’re obviously covered in my scent which should help calm you down.” Adrien had to take a few deep breaths to calm his racing heart down.

His piercing emerald gaze never left her as she slowly, mockingly wove one arm through the armhole and then the other. She bit her lip as she gingerly took her time in buttoning it up. Since the shirt was his, it was big on her causing it to stop mid-thigh. She laid the boxers down on the counter and walked over to him, giggling softly into her hand. 

Like the temptress she was, she lifted her pointer finger to slowly trace his jaw, down his neck only stopping once she was at the base of his throat. She spread her fingers out to touch him and leisurely trailed her fingers down his chest, lightly raking her nails over his abdomen teasingly. 

He groaned tilting his head to the side as he grabbed her wrist prying her fingers off of him. “We - we need...to talk.” His voice was raspy as he panted and stumbled over his words. 

She placed a soft kiss in between his pecs and on the middle of his chest, peering up at him with a shy look. She bit her lip as he cleared his throat and walked them over to his couch. 

Marinette found it hard to believe they had just been there a few hours earlier. He let go off her wrist to sit down and looked at her with surprise as she went to straddle him. “Uh Princess? What - what are you doing?” 

She wrapped her arms around her waist as she hunched in on herself. “I - I don’t know. You make me feel good.” She mumbled looking away in embarrassment as the realization of what she just did dawned on her. She started to get off of him when he wrapped his arms around her and hugged her into him. Her body was tense so he slipped his hand under the shirt he gave her to lightly run his fingers along her spine.

She moaned and started to unclench her body as his touch left tingles running along her skin. He chuckled into her hair, placing feather-like kisses along the crown of her head. She rested her cheek against his chest and furrowed more comfortingly into him. 

“It’s alright, baby. I got you. Everything that you’re currently feeling is natural, love. Your body seems to respond to mine in a positive way which is why it’s craving closeness. And your hormones are running a little crazy right now because of your heat. Never apologize to me for something like that, my lady.” Adrien continued to caress her smooth skin in reassuring patterns.

“Luka told me that female shifters go into heat once a year to ensure the shifter community doesn’t go extinct.” 

Adrien’s arms tightened around her as he growled lowly at the mention of the other Alpha. He felt her perk up but he ushered her back into her rested position as he assured her with tiny pecks along her head and whispers of soft affections to help ease her mind. 

He cleared his throat to shake off the growl. “Yes, unclaimed female shifters go into heat once a year for a week unless they're pregnant. Their scent changes to lure in unclaimed males. But once the female is claimed, then only the male who claimed her can sense her heat from that moment on. Her smell will only attract him and vice versa.” He felt her brows furrow.

“But I’m not a shifter? So why am I going into heat?” Ironically and right on time, she gasped as another wave of heat rolled over her. The hand that was running along her spine jolted back in shock of her spiked temperature before it was joined by his other hand, running his fingers up her sides and back down to repeat the process.

She squeezed her eyes shut as her lower abdomen pulsed in need to be penetrated. The longing desire to be filled by the man she was currently straddling seemed to hit her out of nowhere. She rocked her hips ever so slightly trying to ease the building pressure in her lower area.

She raised her hands to curl her fingers into his soft hair, tilting him back ever so slightly so he peered at her with hazy green eyes. They were filled with love and lust and want and a heat that burned her to the very core. He groaned, pausing his hands to grip her hips and to keep them from rubbing on his erection.

She leaned down to lick up his throat and to kiss along his jawline. Her lips hovered over his ready to connect them when he lifted a hand up to cup her cheek, halting her intention. She stared down at him with a confused look but nuzzled his palm anyways.

“Marinette,” his eyes widened as he looked into her clear blue ones with nothing but sincerity, “I love you. I love you so much, but you’re not in a state where you’re making clear choices. Your body is telling you one thing and as much as this pains me to say, I know you’re upset with me.” He looked away in shame as his cheeks flushed in anger at how he just cockblocked himself.

“Adrien,” he snapped his gaze to hers as she worked her bottom lip between her teeth. “I’m not upset with you. Well, I mean I’m a little sad that you hid everything from me but I know you.” She smiled at him and cupped his own face in her hands. “I know my kitty, and I know that you have your reason as to why. I’ve met your father and I know from experience he isn’t the easiest person to get along with or to understand.”

He scoffed and rolled his eyes, grumbling to her how “It’s okay to call him a dick. It’s what he is.” causing her to giggle. 

“Yeah alright, he’s a dick. This shifter world of yours isn’t easy to navigate nor is it a safe place and I get that.” She grimaced as she thought back to the old man in the restaurant who had wanted to do things to her. And to think that he would have gotten away with it if Luka hadn’t intervened. “You never wanted to hurt me Adrien, and while you did break my trust a little, there’s no denying that I...that I still love you. I also like to believe that this wound is something we can heal with time. And I thought about it and I know that if our roles were flipped I would have done the exact same thing as you.” 

She took the hand from her face to interlace their fingers together, bringing it down to rest in her lap. “And there’s no one else I would want to discover the shifter world with than you.” She smiled down at him, licking her lips a little in nervousness.

He reached up with his other hand to stroke her cheek with his thumb. “Can I kiss you?” 

Marinette nearly melted at the hope in his voice and couldn’t stop beaming at him even after she gave him her approval. 

He brought her head down to finally connect their lips in a long overdue kiss. This one was just as magical as the first one, maybe a little more now that Marinette knew what to expect. She smiled as his taste enveloped her senses. He still tasted of wine so she assumed he must have had another glass or two after she left.

She moved her fingers through his hair, softly tugging and scratching his scalp pulling him impossibly closer to her. In return, he pulled her hair gently out of it’s ponytail, softly running his own fingers through her silky tresses.

Their lips moved together in tandem as she tilted her head for better access. He pushed the hair that fell in her face behind her ear, ravishing her lips with a desperation he didn’t know he had. The kiss was hungry and filled with passion as they both poured their love into it. He licked her top lip for permission to explore her further.

She opened her mouth immediately engaging his tongue with her own in a sensual dance of soft caresses and languid moans. The feel of her pert breasts pressed against his chest had him purring and nearly salivating in anticipation. He wanted to feel her milky smooth breasts in his grasp, to know what they felt like and to find out if they tasted like how he imagined they would.

She drew back from his soft lips and started to work her way down his neck trying to remember what he did to her over on the counter. She sucked and nipped at his skin earning a moan of approval from him. She didn’t know where she possessed this kind of courage or confidence but she let the fire in her guide her movements.

She found the spot where his shoulder met his neck and where, to her proud display, he sucked in a breath and tightened his hold on her signaling his pleasure point. She worked on that spot with her tongue and lips as he let out quiet hums of praise. Marinette made sure to leave a noticeable mark before she made her way back up to his face, capturing his swollen lips again. 

She rocked her hips against his own causing a strangled moan to rise out of him and a breathy, “Marinette…”. His hands found the curve of her hips and gripped them to help her move in time with his own grind. A small whine left her mouth as his clothed erection pressed up onto her bundle of sensitive nerves. Her thin pair of panties not doing much to stop the graze or the mew that escaped her. 

She gasped at the new feeling and pulled back in surprise.

Her cheeks erupted in a blush as Adrien tried to resist the laughter that bubbled up from his chest. She squeaked and grabbed a pillow shoving it in his face to silence him as he burst into fits of laughter. He removed the pillow and stared at her with love filled green eyes, taking in her flushed state. 

He lightly grabbed her wrists to pull them away from her face as she hid behind them, kissing each of her palms. “Hey, it’s okay.” He reassured her with a smile adjourning his face.

“I’m so sorry!” She said mortified that her nerves had gotten the better of her. If only she wasn’t so innocent and unintelligent in this aspect of life. She wanted to be sexy for him, not skittish and unsure. He didn’t deserve that.

His features softened as he pulled her into him, sighing sadly when she tensed up. “Hey, I’m not going to rush you into anything you don’t want to do. And what did I say about apologizing?” He brushed through her hair as she settled back down on his chest, relaxing just a little as he massaged her head. “This is new to you. I’m willing to go at whatever pace you want. I’m just so fortunate to be given anything by you if I’m being honest, love.” He bit his tongue to hold back telling her how he thought she had left him for good just an hour ago.

Their chests heaved up and down as they both came down from their euphoric high to catch their breaths. “I’m sorry I’m so inexperienced.” She whispered as she closed her eyes in shame. 

He furrowed his brows as he tried to wrap his head around why she would think that, “What? Marinette you don’t...you don’t think I...I care about that do you?”

She cringed away and slowly sat up, avoiding eye contact with him. She bit her lip anxiously and crawled off of his lap. She wrapped her arms around her middle, the hormones in her body coaxed her eyes to shed tears even though she wasn’t sad. Instead they were scared tears. She was now the one who was afraid that she’d lose Adrien.

He stared at her, slack jawed before moving to cup her face in his palms. One leg rested in between her thighs while his other foot was on the floor keeping him balanced and upright. He wiped under her eyes to rid her skin of her tears.

“Marinette, how do you not see how beautiful and perfect you are to me? So what if you’ve never experimented before. In fact, do you know how happy that makes me?” He tilted her chin up to make eye contact with her, hurting at the fact that she’s doubting herself and his love for her. “I am so incredibly ecstatic to be the one showing you and introducing these new things to you. Exploring our likes and dislikes and every single quirk that you have. What makes you moan and what angle pleases you the most.” 

He settled on the couch beside her, pulling her back into his arms only this time she was sitting sideways with her legs bent over his thigh. Her head was resting on his shoulder and he was still running his fingers through her hair. His left arm was strung over her stomach while his right arm cradled her back, pressing her close to him.

“You’re going to find someone better and leave me.” Came her whispered reply as she choked back a sob. 

He lightly chuckled, kissing her head. “Impossible, M’lady. You don’t really think I would have stayed by your side for 6 years just to leave you, now would you? Besides you’re acting like I’ve done more than you have.” She perked up and looked at him in shock, sniffing and rubbing her eyes while she was at it. 

“What? But I thought-”

He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. “Princess, I spent just about every moment of free time I had curled up on your bed as a cat. The last thing on my mind was going out to find a one-night stand. Besides, no one could ever compare to you.”

A blush spread over her cheeks as she glanced away guiltily. “But Nino said that you-”

“The only thing I’ve ever sexually done was when I was over in Milan for business a few months ago. One of the models came up to me at a business party and pulled me into a room trying to seduce me. I was tipsy from the champagne and it was dark and she looked like you so I obviously reacted.” He cringed as he got lost in the memory wishing he could go back and stop it from ever happening. “She blew me. That’s as far as it went since I moaned your name and she stormed out angrily but I felt so disgusting afterwards. Safe to say it ruined the trip for me.”

She grazed her fingers over his jaw as he peered down at her. “I’m sorry that happened to you, Adrien.” She whispered, her heart breaking for the man in front of her. She was still shocked that he’s never had sex. She always thought with a body like his, combined with his great personality, he could have anyone he wanted.

This made butterflies erupt in her stomach, effectively fueling the fire in her lower abdomen that had gone out. She bit her lip to hold back the moan that wanted to leave her but she couldn’t hide the smile that tugged at the corners of her lips.

He ran his thumb over her bottom lip tugging it out from under the teeth that held it captive, warmly gifting her a smile in return. 

“There’s that smile.” She rested her head back down, curling up into him as he held onto her tighter. “I waited for you, My lady. If it wasn’t you then I didn’t want it. So you can erase every doubt that you’ve come up with because no one could ever hold a candle to you. I love you, Marinette, my lady, my mate.”

She traced the outline of his muscular chest. “What’s a mate?” She was honestly getting whiplash at her hormone induced emotional rollercoaster. 

“A mate is usually a term used to address a shifter’s other half. Their chosen one. I personally like to assume it originated from the word soulmate.” He slid his left hand up and over her hip, running his fingers over her burning skin. She giggled as he unintentionally tickled her and moved her own fingers to run up and down his arm until they reached his hand where she took the initiative to interlock their fingers.

“That’s so cheesy.” She rolled her eyes and looked back up at him. He grinned down at her, his cheeks turning pink as he hid in his hair a little. 

“Yeah but that’s what I consider you as. The other half of my soul.” He said sheepishly.

She laughed and let go of his hand to touch his jaw, stroking it with her knuckle. He smiled and started to purr as he brought his hand up to cup her face angling her towards him. He leaned down to align his lips with hers, hovering just above them silently asking for permission. 

She shut her eyes and took a deep breath, closing the distance to connect their lips in another heart fluttering kiss.


End file.
